High School Del Val Cheer Program

Michael White said:

As someone who never thought Cheer was a sport growing up, I think sideline cheer is detrimental to the public view of what Cheerleaders are. It wasn't until I got to college that I even saw what Cheer teams are capable of and thought it would be something to test my physical and mental abilities. Competitive cheer and sideline cheer should definitely be broken up in my honest opinion. I believe part of the stigma that "Cheerleaders are supposed to cheer on the boys (and girls)!" could be alleviated if there was a "Cheer Squad" and an "Acro and Stunt Team".

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Twinklestars said:

I think you need to pay better attention to which forum you are posting. I also think you aren't looking at words correctly.

The argument could be made that allstar/competitive performers should not be called cheerleaders because they. don't. cheer.

Cheerleading started on the sidelines. Being a Cheerleader - History of Cheerleading It incorporated other skills for entertainment value for the crowds. As a former coach liked to say: you are cheerleaders-- not tumble leaders, stunt leaders, or dance leaders!

And, I despise the word squad. They are a team!

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Michael White said:

No, I think I replied to the right one... This is a response to the Athletic Director who thinks Cheer isn't a sport. I'm not a spring chicken to cheer anymore. I've cheered two years in college, and three on a level 5 team (IOC5), coached two years of all-star and have been an NCA instructor, in case you're wondering.

Cheerleading may have started on the sidelines, but it has definitely come a long way since it's foundation! I was simply saying that maybe the distinction needs to be made now between competition teams and teams that are geared more to leading football and basketball teams.

PS- in my gym, especially with the girls I coached all year, we felt squad was a more endearing and close term than team was, but maybe it's different dialect everywhere.

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Twinklestars said:

I found it rather insulting that you came into the "High School Cheerleading" forum where a number of teams don't compete and write that "sideline cheer is detrimental to the public view of what Cheerleaders are".

That is being divisive, but I guess that was your intent. Sure, divide them up into the cheerleaders who cheer and lead crowds and those who compete. The former gets to keep the name.

I think there is a difference between "squad" and referring to a " Cheer Squad" and an "Acro and Stunt Team". Squad/squad goals are Taylor Swift and her ilk who are known as a squad mainly for looks/fashion than skill/talent. You differentiated when you called cheer a squad and the Acro/stunt a team. Team is for athletes.

Maybe I am overreacting, but I am sick and tired of seeing sideline teams get put down for what they do. They work hard and get little respect. When the disrespect is from someone like you, it is unacceptable.

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Michael White said:

No, I think I replied to the right one... This is a response to the Athletic Director who thinks Cheer isn't a sport. I'm not a spring chicken to cheer anymore. I've cheered two years in college, and three on a level 5 team (IOC5), coached two years of all-star and have been an NCA instructor, in case you're wondering.

Cheerleading may have started on the sidelines, but it has definitely come a long way since it's foundation! I was simply saying that maybe the distinction needs to be made now between competition teams and teams that are geared more to leading football and basketball teams.

PS- in my gym, especially with the girls I coached all year, we felt squad was a more endearing and close term than team was, but maybe it's different dialect everywhere.

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Official OWECheer said:

I don't think people in that town are at all unaware of the fact that Del Val is nationally ranked. They've been on ESPN. Sideline cheer isn't detrimental to the image of cheerleading.

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Michael White said:

If youre talking about just Del Val, then I agree, likely the community is well aware of the competition team, and their many achievements. But the one person who matters does not believe it should continue, and the program itself is in jeopardy because of it. If you mean that sideline cheer is in no way influencing the public perception of cheer, then I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.

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mamabear said:

I live in this county. Cheer is huge out here. It starts with the AYC and Pop Warner teams who are nationally known and it continues through most of our high schools.There is no way that Del Val's success is not known. Sounds like the AD is choosing to make life miserable.

There has been recent activity at another area high school regarding cheer and I have a feeling that Kimmy Sweet will hopefully end up there next season. I think she would be an amazing addition to their program.

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Official OWECheer said:

But this isn't about the AD thinking that sideline cheer is all there is to cheerleading. OBVIOUSLY sideline cheer has a huge impact on the public's perception of cheer. But it is not the problem. The problem is the comparative lack of exposure of competitive cheerleading (not all star, but competitive cheerleading in general), the public ignorance regarding the amount of training that goes into cheerleading, and the images that Hollywood and the adult industry continually put out about our sport.

If the rumors are true, then the AD has a deep-seated bias against Kimmy Sweet and cheerleading in general that won't be remedied by having him watch a couple of UCA broadcasts.

ETA: Lots of HS programs have the same team doing everything for sideline and competition. No separation.

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Michael White said:

I don't know the man personally so that may certainly be the case! you say the rumor is he doesn't like cheering in general. I wonder though, what is his issue with cheering then? Does he not like it because of injuries? Because of the "girls in skirts and showing midriffs"? It certainly can't be the cost unless the school is paying for these trips. If it's a personal bias against the coach, that's even worse in my opinion. The team is collateral in his pursuit against the coach.

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OldskoolKYcheercoach said:

Let's stop pretending this is a new phenomenon. Competitive cheer teams appear, dominate, and disappear in cyclical fashion and have been doing so for 35 years. Does anyone remember Christian Brothers High School? Their program fell apart because the "Brothers" decided that they did not want to support them anymore. Competing at Nationals is expensive, it is (generally speaking) not a state-sanctioned event, and if a coach doesn't keep her eyes on the prize, the potential exists for great drama. Every competitive cheer program must recognize that they are one small boo boo away from having the hammer come down on their ability to compete.

The other fallacies in these arguments: trying to label cheer as a sport, implying that a good sideline program is detrimental to the image of cheerleading (note the adjective "good"), and indicating that somehow separating sideline cheer from competitive cheer at the high school level would fix all problems...are all bogus in light of the fact that we are discussing a competitive luxury (attending UCA nationals), vs competitive requirements (such as a sanctioned state competition).

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